AUBURN | It may not be the last time a big crowd is celebrating Auburn basketball at Toomer’s Corner this season.

The Tigers got it started Thursday night as the men’s and women’s teams participated in a shooting contest and the men’s team had a dunk competition in front of a huge crowd in downtown Auburn.

“I think it’s exciting for the players and it sends a message around the world of college basketball that basketball matters in Auburn,” said AU coach Bruce Pearl. “This is a huge production but it’s got a brand. Tip-off at Toomer’s, people understand what it’s all about.

“And who puts a court down the middle of downtown, brings in Cole Swindell and gets 10,000 people to show up on a beautiful fall night? Auburn, Alabama does it.”

The shooting contest consisted of three players from the men’s team and one from the women’s trying to make four shots from increasingly farther out in the shortest amount of time.

Team 4, which included JP Pegues, Reed Trapp, Presley Patterson and Audia Young lapped the field by completing the challenge in 14 seconds. Young made the logo shot to earn the win.

Chaney Johnson was the surprise winner of the dunk contest, but it was runner-up Jahki Howard that brought the biggest cheers with his high-flying dunks including one over a couple of AU’s tallest players.

“I’ll tell you right now, if Jahki Howard’s dunk over the top of Chad Baker and Johni Broome doesn’t make SportsCenter, I don’t know what will,” said Pearl.

“Jahki is a special, special talent, and just a freshman. I kinda just love everyday watching him take steps.”

Pearl said guard Miles Kelly missed the event due to an illness.

Preseason preparations are almost over. Auburn will play two charity exhibition games, Oct. 27 against Furman in Greenville, S.C., and Nov. 1 against FAU at Neville Arena.

The regular season will begin Nov. 6 at home against Vermont.

“I have some concerns about how we’re playing right now,” said Pearl. “We absolutely need to play against somebody else. We really do. I think our guys will be excited about it. We’ve done all we can do to prepare.

“I want more. I know what the schedule looks like. I know how physical it’s going to be. And it’s hard for us to duplicate that physicality every day in practice. The guys are tired of hitting each other."